Hardware takes a front-row seat at Farm & Home in Chilton. Above, Hank Gillig shows that it boils down to the nuts and bolts, featuring Farm & Home’s aisles of hardware components. At left, Kim McKeen demonstrates that the paint department has a large selection from which customers can choose.

A Do-It-Best Hardware store, Farm & Home is celebrating 20 years under the current ownership team of Kim McKeen and Dwight Bloohm.

In many ways, the changes that the store has implemented in the past year have emphasized a return to the core concept of the local community hardware store.

“We have worked hard the past year on bringing hardware back to the forefront,” McKeen said. “We have been working on that transition, and are just putting the finishing touches on it now.”

The return to a true hardware store identity has involved a sorting out of the most important items for local shoppers. “We have tried to clean things up and focus on what is most useful and necessary for our customers,” McKeen added.

“Most importantly, we want to thank all of our customers for their patience and understanding through these changes. We certainly hope they like the finished product when it’s done.”

Take even the simplest of categories, like light bulbs. The review process has weeded out some of the old bulbs and replaced them with the new varieties. “Buying light bulbs used to be pretty simple,” he said. “These days, with halogen, LED and all other sorts of options, a light bulb purchase is almost a research